Modern-day Explorers
Brit explorer, writer & photographer Levison Wood made a name for himself walking the length of the Nile and honed his seens of adventure in the army. He talks new books, mentoring new explorers and being ambushed by ISIS with Helen Dailey
Meet a trio of pioneering adventurers: Levison Wood, Namira Salim and Borge Ousland
What are you up to at the moment?
I’ve been working on a book, called The Last Giants, which is all about African elephants and their evolutionary history and the threat of extinction. This summer, I’ll release a photography coffee table book and I’m also writing a philosophy book about what we can learn from our travels and other cultures, and the lessons I’ve learnt along the way. I’ve found that people are generally very kind and hospitable, and that’s one of the underlying messages.
Two of the UK’s most celebrated explorers, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Sir Michael Palin, are big fans of yours. What does it mean to receive their support?
Yes, I’ve met both of them several occasions. Ranulph has given me several endorsements, and we’ve had a chat about my expeditions. He’s still going strong at 70-odd. If I’m still going strong when I’m that age, then good luck to me! I was fortunate enough to present Michael Palin with a Lifetime Achievement award, which was amazing. He’d watched my documentaries and it was all a bit overwhelming.
Which modern-day explorers do you admire and why?
Nirmal Purja, or Nims Dai [Former Gurkha who recently climbed fourteen 8,000m mountains in a record time of six months six days] and I have become good friends. He’s a former soldier like myself and only left in March last year. His mission seemed like a bonkers idea, as even though he’s from Nepal, he’d never actually been to the mountains and had no experience outside of the military. He didn’t really know how to point a camera, so I offered to mentor him on the media side of things. He’s a really inspiring character.
Was there anything in particular that inspired your passion to explore?
I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth – I grew up in Stoke-on-Trent. My Mum and Dad, who were both teachers, encouraged me to be curious. I went travelling at 18 on my gap year and that, combined with my experiences in the army, gave me the confidence to have a go. It’s good to encourage other people to look beyond the boundaries and teach them that anyone can be an explorer.
You have many achievements to be proud of in your life, from hitch-hiking along the Silkroad to walking the length of the river Nile, something no-one had ever done before. How has your style of travelling evolved?
These days, I guess I’m focused on the work, and the end product. Making a documentary is obviously very different from going off backpacking. I’d love to go back to my roots and disappear with a backpack for a couple of weeks. I usually pack about 10 minutes before the flight! It doesn’t feel real until I’m sat on the plane.
You are an acclaimed writer, photographer & documentary maker. Do you consider yourself an explorer first and foremost, or does it all go hand in hand?
I never really call myself an explorer – it feels a bit weird to use that term! It conjures up images of khaki shorts and pith helmets. What I’m doing is documenting places and people, and the times we live in, and if that’s exploration, then great. If people ask what I do, I say I’m a writer, as that’s what I spend most of my time doing.
You witnessed the liberation of Sharqat during your circumnavigation of the Arabian peninsula. How does it feel to travel into areas as news is happening?
That was something else, travelling into Iraq on the final days of the fight against ISIS, and to get the access that we did, to witness that final fight, was dangerous and hair raising, to see what it was all about. We got ambushed by ISIS, so yes, I did feel scared, but we were in a convoy with 200 vehicles and tanks, so at least we were on the right side.
What are some of the most stressful situations you have found yourself in during your expeditions, and how have you negotiated that?
The good bits tend to be people, but the bad bits is also people: it can make or break a trip really. You can be a complete dump and still have a laugh if you’re with the right people,. Equally, you can be in paradise, but if you’re with the wrong crowd, it doesn’t matter.
To what extent has your army background made you into the explorer you are today?
That certainly gave me the confidence and skills to try. I was travelling well before I went into the army. Travel was my first love but being in the army, and the paras, gives you credibility – people take you seriously. Being in the army was my rite of passage. levisonwood.com
Levison’s book, The Last Giants: The Rise and Fall of the African Elephant, is out this April